The Core One is Prusa's first enclosed CoreXY: a steel exoskeleton frame, a heated chamber, the Nextruder extruder and load-cell first-layer precision — all open-source and backed by lifetime support. It's Prusa's answer to Bambu, with a different philosophy: repairability, openness, and a multi-material ecosystem (MMU3, then the INDX toolchanger) rather than a closed AMS.
Against the enclosed Bambu and Creality machines, the Core One bets on open-source, repairability and EU manufacturing. Three variants: Core One (standard), L (large format) and + (improved cooling/flow).
In brief
All share the same base: enclosed CoreXY, heated chamber, Nextruder, load-cell bed, open firmware, and genuine capability with ABS, ASA and nylon without workarounds. What changes: the volume (L), the cooling and flow (+), and the multi-material options.
Comparison table
Indicative prices (kit / assembled), varying by region.
| Model | Volume (mm) | Chamber | Distinctive | Price ≈ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core One | 250 × 220 × 270 | Heated ≤ 55 °C | The open-source benchmark | ≈ $949 (kit) / $1,199 (asm.) |
| Core One L | 300 × 300 × 330 | Heated ≤ 60 °C | Large format, cast AC heatbed | higher (see Prusa) |
| Core One+ | 250 × 220 × 270 | Heated | 360° cooling, CHT high-flow nozzle | ≈ Core One (spring 2026) |
Core One
The original (250 × 220 × 270 mm). An all-steel exoskeleton frame, a chamber heated to 55 °C, a Nextruder with a load cell for a perfect first layer, and above all an open ecosystem: open-source firmware, printable parts, exhaustive documentation and lifetime support. It prints ABS, ASA and nylon without contortions, and stays deeply repairable — Prusa's historic argument.
Core One L
The large-format variant: 300 × 300 × 330 mm (~30 L), doubling the Core One's volume for only ~10% more footprint. It introduces a cast-aluminum AC convection heatbed (< 2 °C variance across 99% of the surface) and a chamber heated to 60 °C. Built for large technical parts, with a "security-ready" variant for enterprise networks. The dedicated MMU3 arrives early 2026.
Core One+ (2026)
Launching spring 2026, the Core One+ keeps the standard volume but refines the toolhead: a 360° cooling Nextruder (clean overhangs to 75°) and a CHT high-flow nozzle. The result: more speed with virtually any filament. It's also the preferred base for the INDX toolchanger (below).
Prusa offers kits to evolve an existing Core One — true to its philosophy: you upgrade, you don't rebuy everything.
Multi-material: MMU3 & INDX
Prusa offers two very different approaches:
- MMU3 — a single-nozzle multiplexer for up to 5 filaments. ~35–45 s swaps, but with purging (like Bambu's AMS or Creality's CFS). See our multicolor guide.
- INDX (Prusa × Bondtech) — a toolchanger with up to 8 independent nozzles on the Core One/+, with near-zero waste. 4-tool kit ≈ $749, 8-tool ≈ $999, rolling out through 2026.
That's the platform's big appeal: start single-nozzle, then move to multi-tool without changing machines. The full landscape of approaches is in our multi-tool printers guide.
Who's it for?
The Core One is for those who value openness, repairability and technical materials over Bambu's ultra-integrated ecosystem. The L for large parts, the + for flow, and the INDX if waste-free multi-material is a goal. To compare with the closed competition, see our Bambu Lab and Creality guides; for the pure toolchanger, the Prusa XL.
The enclosed CoreXY for makers who want to understand and evolve their machine — multi-material that scales from MMU3 to INDX.